[quiescentfury]

Hello. My Dh and I just adopted a son domestically and we know that we want to adopt again, maybe start the process in six months. We were thinking about doing international adoption. I have some questions I was hoping that someone could help me with.

Can anyone tell me what the timelines are like for adoptions from Panama?

What are the ages of the children when they come home?

Are there sibling groups and older children available?

Can we specify gender?

What have your experinces been with cost associated with adopting from Panama?

Can someone PM me with agency suggestions?

Thank you for all your help.

[Kerlynne]

Hey Maureen, I would like information too. Doesn't seem like many people come to this side, of the forums lol
It seems like Panama is not to easy to adopt from?? We know an agency that is in process of getting licensed to work through there, so I would love to get information about the country, but doesn't seem to be much here.

Hear anything, let me know, as I will you.
-Kerri

[Marisma]

Hello,

I can tell you something about adoption in Panama.
First of all, in Panama, it is possible to adopt children of all the ages, since infants until older children.
The gender can be choosen.
When you send the dossier, it is estudied and, in a few days you enter in the database. Some months later you recieve referral. The time depends on the age of the child.
For example, we was matched five months later from being in the database with a girl of 5 years. Other couple, here in Spain, was matched with a boy of 3 years old, after eight months waiting. Then you must wait again until you could go for the Adoption Court and bring your child home about six or eight months, sometimes longer.
The cost is about 6.500 $, for paying the lawyer. The travel is apart.
I expect this information is good for you. If you want to ask anything else, don´t doubt.
Until soon

[whoownsthis]

I'd advise you to go through the old messages in the Panama forum. You'll find that Panama is NOT easy to adopt from unless you are Hispanic and NOT from the U.S. (even then it's not "easy"), and the timeline is anywhere from a year to 3 or 4 years...IF you're lucky!

The cost is less if you adopt "independently" (hire a Panamanian lawyer yourself). Don't trust any agency that is trying to get licensed there---Panama won't work with them. The last I had heard (before we gave up on Panama after spending $10,000 and waiting 2 years just to get a referral), there was only one agency having any luck getting referrals for their families, and that was only one or two EACH YEAR!!!

If you're open to older children or sibling groups, stick with domestic, foster care adoption. It's completely free if your local Dept. of Children Services does the homestudy. We had ours done by a private agency because it was faster (cost=$500. Now they charge $750).

We had three Latina girls (Puerto Rican heritage) placed with us last summer and travel back to Massachusetts next month to finalize the adoption. MA is paying for the girls' airfare and for our hotel room. We'll get an adoption subsidy (the same rate as the foster care payment we're currently receiving) once the adoption is complete since it's a sibling group. This is crucial since our insurance and their Medicaid won't pay for their attachment therapy. There are lots of bonuses to domestic/foster care adoption that most people are completed unaware of until they begin researching it.

P.S. We found our girls on the Massachusetts Resource Exchange site. (just Google it or go to the state links page on www.adoptuskids.org)

[quiescentfury]

Thank you so much for your help!!!